The Rakhine Ethnic Congress (REC) said it will help 47 young people from IDP camps who are facing difficulties continuing their education to attend universities.

Ko Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of REC, said that the congress will cover the students’ expenses, including for housing, transport, food and other school costs.

“We are providing it to the students depending on their needs. We ask the students to apply for free tuition and housing, and for food and transportation fees. Some students apply for tuition and housing fees. Some apply only for the tuition fee while others apply for housing and other fees,” he said.

The 47 students, including 27 females and 20 males, who will receive financial support from REC are from Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Ponnagyun, Buthidaung and Mrauk-U townships.

Ko Zaw Zaw Tun said they were able to provide the assistance to a certain group of students this time because information concerning student’s educational needs and other data took time to access due to the black out of the Internet.

“We regularly collect data at IDP camps and in conflict-affected areas and heard that students are facing this kind of problems. We checked to see which organization were providing help, when we discovered nobody was assisting the students we decided to lend a helping hand. But we need time – that’s why it took a while to start the program, and we can only arrange it for students who study Myanmar literature and history,” he said.

He added that more than 100 students had enrolled in the education support program but they chose 47 who were really facing difficulties.

Teachers at universities will also give free tuition to those 47 students during exam periods.

REC said that it will continue the program in the future.